Speech Therapy in Winnipeg

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP’s) work on assessing, diagnosing and treating various speech and language disorders. This can include speech, language and swallowing disorders, as well as the social aspects and cognitive skills needed in communication. SLP’s also work with individuals who are hard of hearing or deaf and are seeking aural rehabilitation. Additionally, Speech Language Pathologists can provide augmentative and alternative communication systems for those with profound expressive and/or language comprehension disorders.

Speech Disorders refer to difficulties individuals have with producing speech sounds correctly or fluently, or difficulties with their voice or resonance.

Language Disorders occur when an individual has difficulties understanding others (receptive language), or sharing thoughts, ideas and feelings (expressive language). Language Disorders may be spoken or written, and may also involve the form (phonology, syntax, morphology), content (semantics), and/or the use (pragmatics) of language in functional and socially appropriate ways.

Social-communication Disorders include difficulties with verbal and nonverbal communication in a social setting including following rules for conversation and story-telling. This can be seen in Autism Spectrum Disorder as well as other conditions such as traumatic brain injury.

Cognitive-communication Disorders include difficulties with thought organization, attention, memory, planning and/or problem-solving. Often these disorders occur as a result of stroke, acquired brain injury, dementia, or they can be congenital.

Swallowing Disorders (dysphagia) occur when individuals experience difficulties with either feeding and/or swallowing. Often this can be a result after an illness, surgery, stroke or injury.

Speech and Language Milestones

All children develop speech and language skills at their own rate, as no two children are alike. If you are concerned however about your child’s general communication development, there are certain developmental milestones that may help you in considering whether or not hiring an Speech-Language Pathologist is right for your little one. Below is a guideline of these milestones from ages 6 months to 30 months.

6 Months

By six months of age, your little one should be starting to locate sound sources. This can mean looking at your face as you speak, or startling at sudden loud sounds. Little ones at this age are also starting to imitate sounds such as: ah, eh, buh or even just imitating a cough. They may even begin copying you when you smile or laugh.

18 Months

By eighteen months, little ones are starting to understand basic concepts such as: “in and out,” “up and down,” “off and on.” They are beginning to respond to simple questions like “where’s daddy?” using either words or gestures. Pretend play skills are emerging as well, and little ones may try giving their stuffies/dollies a bath or a bottle. Their vocabulary includes at least four consonant sounds and at least twenty words. Little ones are also starting to point to pictures in books and various body parts.

9 Months

At this age, little ones are starting to understand the meaning behind certain sounds such as: responding to their names, a telephone ring or knock at the door, and they can even understand the word “no.” Babbling is something that begins around this age as well, typically on sounds like bababababa or duhduhduhduh or sounds when gesturing to pick up a toy. Little ones will also enjoy being near people and start playing fun social games like peek-a-boo or other cause and effect games.

24 Months

By 24 months, little ones are holding books right-side up and “reading” to their stuffies/dollies. Their vocabularies have expanded to include one hundred words or more, and they are using at least two pronouns. They are also combining two words or more on a consistent basis, are following two-step directions like”go get your cup and bring it to mommy please” and people can understand them fifty to sixty percent of the time. Words and sounds should be forming easily as well. At this age, little ones enjoy being around other children, are imitating their actions and words, and they are also beginning to offer playmates their toys.

12 Months

By this age, little ones are beginning to expand on their communication skills by combining different vocalizations like aboo, baduh, abee, getting your attention by pointing or gesturing to things while making eye contact with you, waving “bye bye” or shaking their heads for no. They also are starting to shift their gaze across the room to items you are pointing to, and are beginning to bring items to you. Some little ones may be using three or more words by this age as well, and are beginning to understand and respond to simple one-step directions such as: stand up. Little ones also begin “performing” to get your attention and/or praise at this age.

30 Months

By thirty months, little ones are using action words such as: jump, spill, and also use some adult grammar like “I jumped.” They are beginning to understand size concepts and quantity concepts, and have built their vocabularies to include more than 350 words. Words also include two or more syllables such as: car-rot, tow-el, com-pu-ter. Little ones are also beginning to take short turns with others in play, combining several actions in play and are showing concern for other children when they are sad or get hurt. They are also starting to recognize signs and logos.

Services Are Available Online!

At Bang A Beat Family-Centred Therapies, we strive to make services available to all individuals. In addition to on-site services, and off-site visits in Winnipeg, MB we also provide Online Speech Therapy or Telepractice. Using technology via high-speed internet, and webcams, we can assist you remotely. Contact info@bangabeat.com to find out more!

Initial Assessment

$350

All new clients receiving speech and language services at Bang A Beat begin the process with an assessment phase. The assessment is conducted by a registered Speech-Language Pathologist, and is used to evaluate the client’s current communication skills and area(s) of difficulties.

Any other information from other outside professionals such as: doctors, schools, other therapists etc. is also helpful and should be brought to the initial assessment session at Bang A Beat. From there, an individualized treatment plan complete with therapeutic goals and objectives is created. Generally, our speech assessments can be completed in two visits, but may require an additional visit.

Individual Therapy

$110/hour

Each session is facilitated by a registered Speech-Language Pathologist. During the session, the SLP will use various activities to help the client work on specific goals and objectives outlined in his/her individualized treatment plan.

The SLP will evaluate the client’s progress, facilitate ways to help the client practice these skills and provide take-home exercises/assignments for the client to work on in between visits. Repetition is key, so completing homework in between each visit fuels the best outcomes for client progress.

All off-site visits within Winnipeg are subject to an additional $10/hour fee. Online services are not subject to the off-site fees.

Progress Reports

$75/report

Three times a year, progress reports are created and submitted to the client detailing the client’s individualized progress on each of the goals and objectives he/she is working on. When appropriate, new goals and objectives are created and updated as well.

Progress reports are essential to tracking and sharing client progress with family/caregivers and can also be shared with other professionals working with the client upon request where consent is given.

Stacey Misko, BA, MSc-RSLP

Speech-Language Pathologist

Stacey earned her Bachelor’s in Linguistics and Psychology from the University of Manitoba in 1997. She went on to complete her post Bachelor’s year at the University of North Dakota in 1998. She then earned her Masters in Science in communications sciences and disorders at Minnesota State University Moorehead in 2001.

Stacey worked in the public school system for a total of 4 years and 11 years in schools within First Nations communities in Manitoba. Over the course of her career, Stacey has had a great deal of experience working with populations including autism spectrum disorder, acquired brain injury, stuttering, apraxia of speech, selective mutism, voice disorders, transgender voice training, and many more.

Stacey is a certified school clinician, is authorized to work with children in the care of CFS, has trained in PECS communication, is Hanen certified for the “It takes two to talk” program, has completed a 2-day RDI training workshop and has even had some of her techniques published in a book called “carryover strategies” by Pam Marshalla. Stacey has also had experience teaching courses through the UofM for speech-language education assistants and courses through Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre at the Canadian Mennonite University for the PERA education program. She has also supervised SLP grads and helped them achieve provincial certification.

In her spare time, Stacey founded the Friending page on Facebook, a parent child database/page where parents can meet other parents with similar kiddos based on the info they enter so that their children can have positive friendship experiences and practice with social skills. She is also an admin of the PACE Facebook page and is on a team which holds the kid Gymboree meetups to practice social skills.